Cat's Random Thoughts
by adventuresinthecloset
Summary: What was Cat thinking when Jade filmed her random thoughts?   Jade's POV now up
1. Chapter 1

"Thanks for helping me with this, Jadey," I tell my friend-or whatever she is, cause I don't think she likes me very much. She gives a small, sarcasric grin, messing with the video camera in her hand.

"Well, I sort of figured if I didn't volunteer," she says in her lovely, low voice which gives me butterflies when it's talking to me. "You'd probably enlist some stranger again. Do me a favor, don't let random strangers in your house anymore?"

"Don't you just love bubbles?" I ask, pulling the trigger of the bubble gun I found under my bed earlier. "I think they're-"

"Cat!" Jade snaps, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Stranger danger! Don't invite people off the street into your house anymore!"

"Kay-kay," she I smile, turning my thoughts back to the bubbles floating up to the ceiling and being sucked into the fan. My eyes widen; I wonder if it hurts the bubbles when they pop? I hope not...

"Ready?" Jade asks. I nod, and she pushes a button.

"YOYOYO!" I giggle, and Jade rolls her eyes. "My name's Cat, which you probably already know if you go to Hollywood Arts. Which is where I go to school. Which you probably already know if you go to Hollywood Arts... or if you go to-"

"Get to the point," Jade says impatiently, tapping her foot. I cover my mouth and giggle; I always do when Jade yells at me. I guess it's cause I know she knows I exist, which is nice to know... I said know a lot in that- oh, the video! Jade's eyebrows are arched impatiently.

"That was Jade," I say, giggling again because I just realized that Jade is actually here, in my room, being almost nice.

"Ignore me, and talk," she says, her voice hard. It stings a little, but I ignore it and try to remember what I was going to say.

"Ok," I smile. "Soo many people ask me the same question...um..." I frown, noticing something odd about the camera.

"Wait..." I squint. "I don't think you're recording..." Jade's eyes flick up to the top corner of the screen, then to me. My stomach jumps.

"Yeah, I am," she says. I'm not convinced, even though normally I would trust Jade with my life, maybe even my cupcakes... But I'm not so sure about the cupcakes. Those are serious business.

"But the red light's not on," I insist.

"This camera doesn't have a red light," Jade says in a tone of forced cheerfulness. I remain unmoved.

"Then... how do I know it's recording?"

"Because I'm telling you it is!" she says, her grip on the camera tightening. I can tell she's really getting mad, and it makes me sad when she's mad at me, so I decide not to ask anymore questions about it. But I can't remember what I was talking about before..

"Talk!" Jade yells, which makes me feel worse. I take a deep breath, then suddenly remember-

"Oh! Lots of people ask me this question; 'Hey! Since your name is Cat, do you _like_ cats?' And the answer is... yes! I love cats!" I look up at Jade and see her almost smiling at the screen, which makes me feel better.

"I don't _have_ a cat," I say, momentarily saddened by this fact. "But I might get one soon if our neighbor's-" Jade's eyes flicker up and meet mine suddenly, and I stumble over my words momentarily. "-cat down the street has babies..." As quickly as it started it was over; Jade was again focused on the screen, her brow furrowed in concentration, only now a red blush was creeping across her cheeks.

"They think she's pregnant," I say, then a thought pops into my head. "But... I mean, she could just be fat..." I feel sad thinking that, so I add hopefully;

"She could be pregnant _and_ fat, we don't know," I shrug. "But my mom thinks that..." I stop, funding mysef suddenly very distracted by just how pretty Jade's half-smile is. "My...my mom thinks that she's..." Jade looks up, meeting my eyes with hers. I feel like I'm floating. It's not scary though, I realize. It feels nice.

"Why'd you stop?" she asks, just a bit more gently than before. I search for a reason, but can't come up with anything good, so I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"Don't all camcorders have a red light...?" And just like that Jade's distant again, focusing on the screen.

"All but this one," she says. I can tell she's mad again. I think I might cry, but I don't want to in front of Jade and her camera.

"Sh...should I keep going?" I ask quietly, looking for a sign from my Jade that she's not mad. Wait... Did I just call her _my _Jade? This whole thing suddenly seems really weird..

"_Hey_, that'd be great," she says bitingly. I sigh unhappily. I don't even remember what I was saying before.

"Where was I...?" I mutter, almost to myself.

"Your neighbor's fat, pregnant cat." I look up; she's smiling at me. A small smile, but still a smile! The surprise of it makes me laugh. I can't stop and I know she's going to ask what I'm laughing about.

"Oh my God," I giggle nervously. "You know what that reminds me of..?" I giggle more and cover covering my face with my hand, my mind racing to figure out just _what_ my neighbor's fat pregnant cat reminds me of...

"What!" Jade asks, starting to laugh a little as well. I look up, still blank.

"Um..." I pull out a remotely interesting random memory. "Oh, one time, I was with my family having dinner at B.F. Wangs, and the electricity went out!" Seeing Jade's face, I add, "No lie!" I'm hoping that will satisfy her, but she looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

"So..." she shakes her pretty head and her hair sways. "What happened?"

"The electricity came back on and one of my dumplings was missming..." Jade's face suddenly cracks into a rare, wide smile. I giggle and bring my hand to my mouth. "It was missing..." She's still smiling, and I'm suddenly struck by a familiar thought.

"I wish there was a red light..."

"Ok," she says, still smiling. "This is over now."

"No! No wait, I wanna say one more thing!"

"Nope," she says, trying very hard not to laugh.

"One time," I say, lurching onto my hands and knees to get closer to the camera. "I was milking a cow, and the cow was all 'MOOO!' and I was like-"

"It's not recording anymore, Cat," she says, closing the viewfinder. I fall back into a sitting position, disappointed.

"Oh," I say sadly, then remember that Jade's here and feel a lot better. "So, do you want to stay for a while? We could watch a movie or something..." She looks at her nails.

"Um..." she says quietly. "I was actually gonna go to Beck's..." _Of course_, I think in an uncharacteristically bitter tone. _Always him, always Beck._ I try to hide my disappointment.

"Oh," I say, and I'm displeased by the amount of emotion packed into such a very small word. "Ok, that's ok. Never mind then..."

"Sorry," she says, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," I murmur as the door closes behind her. "See ya..." I look down at the bubble gun, at my owl pillow, at anything but the chair where Jade had been. I don't like feeling so sad, so I try to think about the kitten I might be getting. It helps, but only a little. I sigh and, looking up at the ceiling fan, decide that yes, being popped hurts. A lot. Suddenly the door opens and Jade walks in, smiling sheepishly. The embarassed expression is something I've never seen on her before, but I like it.

"Hi...?" I say. She sets her bag on the floor and shrugs.

"I guess Beck won't miss me too much..."


	2. Chapter 2

This is Jade's POV. Also, thanks to people who reviewed, added to their favorites, and alerts, and to all 92 of you who read it... O.o Lol thanks. :)

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with this, Jadey," Cat says, grinning widely and bouncing up and down. I wince inwardly at the babyish nickname she's a assigned me.

"Well, I sort of figured if I didn't volunteer," I say. "You'd probably enlist some stranger again... Do me a favor, don't let random strangers in your house anymore?"

"Don't you just love bubbles?" she asks, pulling rhe trigger on a bubble gun. One finds it's way to me and pops on my nose. "I think they're-"

"Cat!" I snap, and she turns to me, eyes wide. "Stranger dange! Don't invite people off the street into your house anymore!"

"Kay-kay," she smiled, focusing again on the bubbles. I roll my eyes; could she possibly be anymore like a litle kid?

"Ready?" I ask, and she nods excitedly.

"YOYOYO!" she giggles. I roll my eyes, feeling a little embarassed for her. "My name's Cat, which you probably already know if you go to Hollywood Arts. Which is where I go to school. Which you probably already know if you go to Hollywood Arts. Or if you go to-"

"Get to the point," I say sharply, tapping my foot. She covers her mouth and giggles, just like she always does when I yell at her. It's one of the many things about her that infuriate me... Yet, admittedly, fascinate me at the same time.

"That was Jade," she says, still giggling.

"Ignore me, and talk," I say, my voice hard. Hurt flickers in her eyes for a second, but the smile never leaves her face.

"Ok," she says. "_So_ many people ask me the same question...um..." She frowns, looking at the front of the camera.

"Wait..." she says, squinting. "I don't think you're recording..." I look in the top corner of the screen. 'REC' is flashing next to a red dot. I look up and meet Cat's eyes, and something in my stomach flutters. I chalk it up to indigestion.

"Yeah, I am," I say. She's not convinced.

"But the red light's not on..." she insists. I'm having a hard time staying patient.

"This camera doesn't _have_ a red light," I say, forcing the kindness in my voice. She remains unmoved.

"Then... how do I know it's recording?"

"Because I'm telling you it is," I say, my grip on the camera tightening. She seems to sense my anger, and her expression is one of despair. But, oddly, I don't feel satisfied. I feel... Surely not guilty? Maybe like I overstepped a little, but not guilty. For what, anyway? She's the one asking stupid questions after all. She sits, mouthing silently, gazing sadly at the camera.

"Talk!" I yell. The way she flinches makes me feel like I just kicked a puppy. She takes a deep breath and continues, a small smile returning to her face.

"Oh, lots of people ask me this question; 'Hey! Since your name is Cat, do you _like_ cats?' And the answer is... Yes! I love cats!" I smile a little at the screen, glad to see that I didn't upset her _too_ badly.

"I don't _have_ a cat," she says, focusing on some point above the lens. "But I might get one soon if our neighbor's-" I look up, into her eyes, and she stumbles over her words. "-cat down the street has babies..." I look back at the screen, embarassed to have caught Cat staring at me... But, I realize with some confusion, pleased at the same time. I can feel myself turning red.

"They think she's pregnant," Cat says. "But... I mean, she could just be fat..." I can't help being amused by her delivery of that statement.

"She could be pregnant _and_ fat, we don't know," she shrugs. "But my mom thinks that..." She stops, focusing again above the lens. "my... my mom thinks that she's..." I look up, meeting her eyes again. This time the flurry of wings in my stomach is unmistakable; butterflies. Unbelievable. Jade August West has butterflies, and for _Cat_ of all people. No one can find out, especially not Cat. Or Beck. No, this will have to be _my_ secret.

"Why'd you stop?" I ask, maybe a little gentler than I should have been. She's silent for a moment.

"Don't all camcorders hae a red light?" she asks in a small voice, which sends the butterflies into hysterics. I look back at the screen, angry at myself for feeling the butterflies, even angrier for _enjoying_ them.

"All but this one," I say harshly. She looks like she might cry.

"Sh...should I keep going...?"

"_Hey_, that'd be great," I say sarcastically. She sighs unhappily. Probably forgot what she was even talking about...

"Where was I...?" she mutters, almost to herself.

"Your neighbor's fat, pregnant cat," I remind her, unable to hide a smile. She looks up and immediately bursts into laughter.

"Oh my God," she she giggles nervously. "You know what that reminds me of...?" She giggles more, covering her face with her hand.

"What!" I ask, starting to laugh a little as well. She looks up, seemingly blank.

"Um..." she thinks for a second. "Oh, one time, I was with my family, having dinner at B.F. Wang's and the electricity went out...!" I quirk an eyebrow sceptically, and she adds, "No lie!"

"So... What happened?" I shake my head, surprised to realize that I actually _want_ to hear about it. In fact, I suddenly want to know _everything_ that goes on in that pretty, jumbled little head. Not only that, I want to _understand. _

"The electricity came back on, and one of my dumplings was missming..." I suddenly crack a rare, wide, genuine smile. She giggles and brings her hand to her mouth. "It was missing..." I'm still smiling, but hers fades and she looks at me thoughtfully.

"I wish there was a red light..."

"Ok," I say, still smiling. "This is over now."

"No! No wait, I wanna say one more thing!"

"Nope!"

"One time," she says, lurching onto her hands and knees. "I was milking a cow, and the cow was all, 'MOOO!' And I was like-"

"It's not recording anymore, Cat," I say, closing the viewfinder. She falls back into a sitting position, disappointed.

"Oh," she says, her face falling, then she perks up just as suddenly. "So... do you want to stay for a while? We could watch a movie or soemthing.." I inspect my nails.

"Um..." I say softly. "I was actually gonna go to Beck's..." She's obviously disappointed.

"Oh," she says, sounding absolutely wounded. "Ok, that's ok... Never mind then..."

"SOrry," I say, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she murmurs as the door shuts behind me. I walk down the hallway, thinking about Beck. Beck who always seems reluctant to hold my hand. Beck who never says he loves me unless I ask him to. Beck who always wants in my pants. Thenk I think of Cat. Sweet Cat. Innocent Cat who will randomly grab my hand at the most inappropriate times. Cat who often says she loves me when she's running down her list of all things she loves. Cat who I left alone and disappointed in her room. After only a second of hesitation, I turn around halfway down the stairs and walk back to Cat's room. The door opens, and she looks away from the ceiling fan.

"Hi..?" she says, appearing quite confused. I set my bag on the floor and shrug.

"I guess Beck won't miss me too much."


End file.
